1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the application of tin-ties to packaging, and an improved apparatus and method for the application of tin-ties.
2. Background Art
Ties such as twist-ties or tin-ties generally comprise one or more pieces of malleable, magnetic metal, such as a wire or ribbon, with the length of the metal covered by paper or plastic. Such ties are often used by consumers to close or reclose flexible bags. Sometimes the ties are provided separately to be later attached to the packaging by the consumer. At other times, the ties are attached to packaging, such as a bag of coffee, by the manufacturer or packager of the product. A method of manufacture of such ties is to make, such as by extrusion, a continuous length of tie material and then cut individual ties to the desired lengths. Such prior art ties have the ends of the metal exposed immediately adjacent the ends of the tie, which may cause a puncture in the bag or present a hazard to the user.
Kinigakis, et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,641 issued Aug. 24, 1999 discloses a wrap around recloseable pouch with a tin-tie or deadfold strip attached to a flexible flap of a pouch. The deadfold strip is generally aligned along the length of the open pouch, and is used to reclose the pouch after a portion of its contents have been consumed. Larsen et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,797 issued Jun. 1, 1993 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,436 issued Jul. 12, 1994 disclose a deadfold strip for hand pressure attachment in a vertical or lengthwise orientation on a bag, generally perpendicular to the bag mouth, to facilitate reclosure of the partially consumed contents.
Larsen et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,210 issued Jul. 13, 1993 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,222 issued Apr. 12, 1994 disclose a dispensing roll of deadfold stickers on a length carrier tape with each sticker having at least two deadfold wires in spaced parallel alignment transverse to the length of the tape. The stickers are peeled off the tape and adhered onto an unfilled, flatted condition bag, perpendicular to the bag mouth. The sticker and at least the area of the bag wall covered by the sticker are passed between pressure rollers.
Nelson, et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,473 issued Feb. 21, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,619 issued Apr. 4, 1995 disclose a tin-tie applied across the width of a bag, generally parallel to the bag mouth, and bent to seal the bag. A magnetic head is used for positioning the bag after the tin-tie is attached to the bag. Larsen, et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,190 issued Feb. 14, 1995 discloses a twist-tie applicator in which a continuous length of twist tie material is extracted, cut to a desired length, removed with a magnetic attraction mechanism and then adhesively secured to a container. In Drietz, et al U.S. Pat. No.5,916,108 issued Jun. 29, 1999 a magnetic attracting mechanism facilitates manipulation of a tie fastener that is fastened on an article. DiFabio, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,967 issued Sep. 24, 2002 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,629 issued Nov. 30, 2004 discloses applying twist-ties to formed bags held at a station by spraying glue onto a twist-tie as it is advanced onto a carrier which pivots to a position orienting glued face of the twist-tie facing the bag held at the station and then moves in a horizontal direction to carry the twist-tie into engagement with the bag held at the station to secure the twist-tie on the bag. The carrier includes an air jet to aid in the release of the twist-tie from the magnetic holding of the carrier.
There remains a need for a tie-tie applicator for self-adhering tin-ties that are precut to a selected length and supplied transversely on a carrier liner for removal from the liner just prior to applying the tin-ties lengthwise on a moving web of packaging material. More particularly, there remains a need for application of such tin-ties during a continuous packaging process, after the packaging containers are formed and are being filled with the product.